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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · temple · drill · wake · snap · charge · roll · ruler

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. roll — a cake
  6. drill — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. net — after costs
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. roll — a list
  14. net — for catching
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — in sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. snap — to click
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com